Jerry Rice now free to choose where he'll play

Jerry Rice should be out of limbo soon. The main question is whether he'll land in Seattle, Oakland or Detroit.

The NFL's leading career pass receiver will officially become a free agent today, the date on which teams can cut players and defer the salary-cap hit they would take if they cut them earlier.

Other than baseball player Deion Sanders, expected to be officially released by Washington, Rice is by far the most prominent of the June 1 cap casualties - this year many veterans were released when free agency began. Under the salary-cap rules, teams can defer a huge cap hit if they cut a player after that date.

The 38-year-old Rice, whose $2.5 million salary is far too much for the cap-strapped 49ers to carry next season, may not go immediately - his agent, Jim Steiner, has asked the 49ers to keep him while he decides where he will go. Coach Steve Mariucci seems amenable - he'll need Rice's salary to sign rookies, but can hold off on that for a week.

"Jim Steiner evidently would like more time to make some decisions, and it's fine with us," Mariucci said. "So we're being very cooperative by extending that date until later in June. If something comes up prior to that, then fine."

Where will Rice go?

"My feeling is he will decide to stay on the West Coast," said Detroit president Matt Millen, Rice's teammate on the 49ers in 1989 and 1990. Rice was in Detroit six weeks ago, where he met with Millen and new coach Marty Mornhinweg, who was the 49ers' offensive coordinator last season.

Rice himself seems to feel resigned to the idea.

"Sometimes you have to move on, man. It might be something that's good for both parties," he told the San Francisco Chronicle last weekend.

Sanders' release by Washington will come a year after the same thing happened to him in Dallas. After he was cut last year, he signed a seven-year, $56 million deal with the Redskins that included an $8 million signing bonus, then went on to have his worst season. The Redskins can save $3.5 million this year by cutting Sanders, although he will cost the team $5.7 million under the cap next year.

He's now playing baseball full time for the Cincinnati Reds, although not very well.

Another casualty could be wide receiver Herman Moore of the Lions, whether Detroit signs Rice or not. Moore, bothered by injuries the past two seasons, has been asked to renegotiate his contract and has stayed away from minicamp in protest.